PPP urges swift elections amid concerns of ECP bias

LAHORE: In a highly-anticipated meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday, party leaders expressed deep concerns about several critical issues leading up to the general elections.

According to Dawn.com, one major concern voiced by the PPP leadership was the inclusion of pro-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) individuals in the caretaker cabinet.

Additionally, they expressed frustration over the election watchdog’s ban on development projects in the Sindh province. The delay in announcing a date for the general elections also weighed heavily on their minds.

The PPP reiterated the stance of chairman Bilawal Bhutto , who had previously raised concerns about an uneven playing field in the pre-election period. The party called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to expedite the general elections, even if it meant holding them within the 90-day constitutional limit.

Interestingly, the PPP’s leadership appeared to align with Bilawal Bhutto’s position on the election schedule, contrary to Asif Ali Zardari’s recent statement, which favoured a delay in elections due to fresh delimitations resulting from the recent census.

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Although some members expressed reservations about the “aggressive” tone of the PPP chairman in recent public gatherings, the majority of the leadership dismissed these concerns, vowing to maintain a stance of “true and just politics” during the election campaign.

Meanwhile, PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri, speaking at a press conference during the CEC meeting, emphasised that the meeting would continue the following day to address various critical issues. These issues included President Arif Alvi’s letter to the ECP suggesting a November 6 polling date, the current political climate, general elections, the inclusion of pro-PML-N figures in the caretaker government, the national economy, and other pressing matters.

Marri acknowledged the importance of constituency delimitation following the new census but stressed the need to minimise any violations of constitutional provisions related to election timelines.

Regarding President Arif Alvi’s involvement in suggesting a polling date, Marri explained that legal experts had informed CEC members that the president lacked the authority to write to the chief election commissioner or suggest polling dates, causing confusion in the process.

Marri also raised concerns about the inclusion of former bureaucrats and PML-N affiliates in the federal cabinet of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, expressing reservations about the perceived bias in favour of certain parties within the caretaker government.

Furthermore, Marri wished for unity among political parties on election matters to ensure the legitimacy of the election results. She noted previous efforts by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to engage other parties for simultaneous national and provincial assembly elections but lamented that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had backtracked on the initiative.

Marri also alleged that the PPP was facing discriminatory treatment from the ECP, as development works initiated by the party’s government in Sindh were halted prematurely, while similar projects proceeded without hindrance in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.